Moldova

20 curiosities about the Republic of Moldova.

1.The Republic of Moldova is one of the smallest countries in Eastern Europe. However, it has two autonomous regions, Transnistria and Gagauzia.  
2. It is believed that Moldova has been inhabited for up to 1.2 million years; in 2010, flint tools were discovered that date back between 800,000 and 1.2 million years.  

3. In the Transnistrian region, officially the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic (PMR), there are 2,500 Russian soldiers and 22,000 tons of weapons.  
4. In the autonomous region of Gagauzia in southern Moldova, the second official language is Gagauz; according to Diez.md, Gagauz is currently spoken by 180,000 people.  

5. . According to data published by the World Health Organization, the average annual alcohol consumption of Moldovans is 16.8 liters.  

6. When it was part of the Soviet Union, Moldova was the most densely populated republic.  

7. Soroca is known as the "capital" of the Gipsys.

8. A few kilometers from the border with Romania, the village of Kongaz in the Autonomous Gagauz Region is the largest village in Europe, with a population of over 13,500 inhabitants.  

9. The flag of the Republic of Moldova is one of three flags that differ on the reverse side. The other two are the flags of Paraguay and Saudi Arabia, according to WineTours.md.  

10.  Orheiul Vechi Museum is one of the most important tourist attractions in Moldova. Located in the valley of the Răut River, this natural reserve has a history of over 2,000 years.  

11. The "Emil Racoviță" cave in Criva is the eighth largest cave on Earth, with a depth of 32 meters and a length of 91 km.  
12. The oldest oak tree in Moldova is 600 years old.  

13. Moldova's history in viticulture and wine production dates back approximately 5,000 years, and the country is the 12th largest wine exporter in the world.

 
14. The largest winery in Europe is Cricova, which stores 40 million liters of wine over an area of 80 km². This underground mini-city has streets named after wines and can be traversed on foot or by private car.  

15. The vineyards of Mileștii Mici have a complex corridor approximately 250 km long. The majority of the wine produced here is red wine (70%), followed by white wine (20%) and dessert wine (10%).  

16. The wine collection at Mileștii Mici is the largest in the world, numbering over 1.5 million bottles. The most valuable bottle of wine was produced in 1973-1974 and costs 480 euros.  

17. One-quarter of Moldova's residents are directly or indirectly involved in wine production.  

18. According to Lista.md, the Alcoholic Beverages Museum or "Bottle Museum" in the village of Târnauca is the largest building shaped like a bottle in the world, standing 28 meters tall.  

19. The largest animal that inhabited the territory of the Republic of Moldova was the deinotherium, a type of elephant. Its skeletal specimen, preserved in the Ethnological Museum in Chișinău, is the second largest in Europe.  

20. The village of Huluboia in southern Moldova was founded at the end of the 19th century by a group of 153 Czechs. Today, only a few residents speak Czech, but every summer, a group of volunteers visits the settlement to promote education in the Czech language and to revive Czech customs and traditions.